


Tropes and AUs

by My_Soul_and_Perfume



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Cannibalism, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Light Dom/sub, Mentions of characters from episode 1, Murder, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Season 1, Sharing a Bed, Someone Help Will Graham, Touch-Starved, Wingfic, bed sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2019-11-16 15:27:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18097037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Soul_and_Perfume/pseuds/My_Soul_and_Perfume
Summary: You have asked for these tropes and now they shall be received! Enjoy!





	1. Enemies to Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter will vary in length, but essentially, every chapter is a new trope! If you have any more suggestions, please list them in the comments <3

The morning was humid and uncomfortable and as Will Graham prowled the tall, yellow grass fields of Minnesota, he prayed he wouldn’t catch on fire. The girl, about 16, was mounted on a rack of antlers in nothing but a white nightgown. Her auburn hair was scorched by the sun. Her dress was dotted with blood at the points the antlers pierced her body. She looked like a pale ghost amidst all golden hues around her.

Will tasted something bitter on his tongue, a flavor he could not describe. It was like the acrid flavor of bile mixed with the sourness of uncooked meat. Ripping his latex gloves off as he walked back to the car, he reached into his satchel to retrieve a thermostat of coffee. Ridiculous to drink it in this weather, but the morning was freezing, and he didn’t want to feel cold the entire drive to the crime scene. Where it once felt warm and comforting as it went down his throat, it then tasted lukewarm and mediocre in the light of day. Grimacing Will stuffed the thermos back in his bag.

His arrival at the motel was a welcome reward from Jack. He stripped, he showered, and he went to sleep, all while that nasty taste lingered on his tongue no matter how hard he brushed his teeth with peppermint toothpaste. He was not prepared for morning after a bout of nightmares, much less the company of Doctor Hannibal Lecter, who had with him a cooler. Will shied away from the light and invited him in.

Turned out, Doctor Lecter was quite the chef. The protein scramble, as he called it, had the savory saltiness of fine meat, and the fluffy buttery-ness of scrambled eggs. Will didn’t realize his hunger until he began heaping forkful after forkful of food into his mouth; he felt the emptiness in his stomach and wanted to fill it up. He also noticed that the taste was gone. It was like it had been wiped clean of his taste buds, overwhelmed by the flavor of Doctor Lecter’s cooking.

As Will sat back and enjoyed a cup of coffee, he listened to Doctor Lecter’s beliefs about Jack’s perceptions about him. His mind purred and preened at the sound of his words and Will thought that maybe, their partnership wouldn’t be bad after all.

* * *

 


	2. Update!

Hey, guys! 

So the end of the school year is finally approaching and I'll be graduating in two weeks! This means that I'll have plenty of time to write and start updating regularly for you guys. Now that finals are pretty much done and I no longer have homework, I've decided to dedicate this month to purely writing, no updating, until the first of July. I hope to write several chapters for this story, as well as many others. So, I'm afraid that I'll have to say goodbye for  **one last time** until then. After that, it'll be updates galore!

If you'd like, I can start posting updates on my MCU and Hannigram tumblrs so that you know what projects I'm working on everyday. If you like the sound of this idea, please leave a comment down below.  **I will begin updating if I get at least 10 comments.**

Lastly, I really really want to bring our fandom together by extending an invitation to you through Discord! Please, if you haven't already, consider making an account and joining our little Hannigram fandom ASAP. We really want you to be a part of our community! And the same goes for MCU Stony/Stuckony. We're always looking to welcome new members <3

Well that's the end of my little announcement. I'll see you guys soon, so don't miss me too much <3 Don't forget to leave a comment down below if you want updates on tumblr, and join the Discord servers!!!!

Bye byyyeee!

 

 

**Discord Hannigram: **https://discord.gg/ZfaCtD****

**Discord MCU Stony:**  <https://discord.gg/z5WSqbS>

**Discord Stuckony:<https://discord.gg/jtXcc3n>**


	3. D/s

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new chapter for you! Enjoy!
> 
> Beta'd by the lovely Hannimo <3

That night, Will had nightmares when he fell asleep.

His dogs barked, howled, whined and whimpered- the noises seeming to accumulate in his ears, rising to a dreadful ring. Overwhelmed, he’d taken the shotgun from his bag and shot them, one by one. 

But it hadn’t been the blood, or even the sight of their mangled corpses that had driven him to madness- it had been the overwhelming anger at himself for leaving such a precious family behind.

_ Violated _ . That’s how he felt when he woke up tangled amongst sweat-damp sheets in his bed, the blue numbers of his alarm clock bright in the gloom, inordinately harsh and piercing to his sleep-deprived eyes.

The Lost Boys case grew more and more horrific as the days passed by, and little seemed to calm his nerves or ease the bone-deep ache in his skull. Whole stretches of time were ripped from his clutches, and he felt so angry with himself for letting them get away. 

Just like he couldn’t give those boys the family they’d lost after they had so carelessly thrown their own away.

Will gazed into the boy’s blue eyes as Jack eased him into the SUV. He remembered the little boy in the photo; how happy he’d been embraced protectively by his mother, who had smiled with unconditional love at him. 

Gun drawn, he’d sat on the sidewalk of the crime scene and focused on taking long, deep breaths. But his heart kept racing nonetheless. That was how he’d found himself dialing Hannibal’s number, and then easing himself into the front seat of his car.

“Can you…turn the music down?” he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. Blessedly, the noise level decreased, and he mumbled a quiet “Thank you.” In response. 

“I have never seen you so shaken after a case, Will,” Hannibal stated at length. “What happened?”

Will straightened in his seat, features twisting into a grimace brought on by a heady mixture of shame, sadness, and anger. “I couldn’t save him.” 

* * *

 

Jacket, shirt, pants, belt, socks, and shoes. Will left them all in the bathroom after he’d emerged from a hot shower, clothed only in a new pair of underwear. He hadn’t bothered combing his hair- he couldn’t muster the energy for it.

“Take a seat, Will,” Hannibal commanded before sitting in his own chair as Will entered the room.

Will knelt.

“Tell me, why are you so angry?”

“I’m  _ angry _ about those boys,” Will spat. “I’m angry because when I found them, I couldn’t help them. I can’t- I can’t give them back what they just  _ gave away _ !”

Hannibal uncrossed his legs, leaning forward, and Will felt his stare like a cold blade penetrating deep inside him. “Family,” he said plainly.

All at once, the fight drained out of Will, leaving him exhausted. He closed his eyes with a sigh. “Yeah.”

“Look at me, Will.”

Blue eyes met brown.

“You cannot go attaching yourself to those boys like you did Abigail, it’s too dangerous-“

“I know, I know.”

“I was talking,” Hannibal cut in, raising his voice. He leaned forward with an utterly serious expression on his face, and Will’s breath caught in the back of his throat. “I only want what is best for you, Will. For the both of us. You need to allow yourself to sit back and let the current take you. I am your paddle, I guide you even when you cannot see the waters ahead. But you have to  _ trust _ me. Do you trust me, Will?”

“Yes,” Will said without hesitation.

“Then do as I say and cease torturing yourself with misplaced thoughts of guilt. It’ll do you no favors other than have you looking in the wrong corner for answers and create shadows that aren’t really there. Spare yourself the unnecessary pain and forgive yourself, Will, for  _ that  _ will only bring you happiness.”

Hannibal’s voice was oddly soothing even as it scolded him, seeming to claw its way into Will’s chest and curl up like something living- making itself a home within. 

He felt his body warm, breath easing into a slower rhythm.

“Thank you, Master,” he whispered, bowing his head. For the first time in days, he felt whole.


	4. Bed Sharing

At a quarter to eight, Will's body began to shake and tremble with that nervous energy he knew as anxiety. It bubbled up inside him and festered to the tips of his fingers, to the toes of his feet. Unable to remain still any longer, he shot out of his easy chair and began to pace to the living room, hands on his hips. Outside, the wind howled monsterously as snow twisted throughout the air. A snowstorm was fastly taking both Wolf Trap and Baltimore. He'd seen people getting snowed out of their homes on the news, homeless people fleeing to shelters to preserve any modicum of warmth. He had been one of the lucky few to make it home before the roads slicked over with ice, but the same couldn't be said for others.

In particular, Doctor Lecter.

Will shivered, scrubbing a hand roughly across his face. God, why had he thought it would be a good idea to invite him to his house to stay the night? There was hardly any space in this little house, let alone two beds! Will's was big enough for two, sure, but they were both tall men. An elbow here, a knee there, they'd undoubtedly intrude on each other's space during the night. But what choice did Will have? He didn't own a sofa or an inflatable mattress. He didn't think he'd  _need_ one, once upon a time. No friends to speak of, no family to spend holidays with. It was just him and his dogs.

Will groaned, realizing belatedly that there was dog hair all throughout the house. It hadn't been swept up for days and had accumulated nearly everywhere. He hoped Doctor Lecter wouldn't mind, but that was wishful thinking. 

Just as Will considered grabbing the broom from the closet, he heard a knocking at the door. 

_Shit_.

Finally, he gripped the doorknob with two fists and yanked until the door swung open. Earlier, ice had accumulated all along the door jamb as he'd ran outside to the tool shed, and he had to kick it in. Luckily, the door gave way slightly easier that time and he was soon greeted with Doctor Lecter's charming smile. He carried a suitcase in one hand, a cooler in the other.

"Will," he said, "Good evening."

Will noticed there was something odd about the tone of his voice, but couldn't place what it was. Instead, he opened the door wider, motioning for the man to come in. He tried to think of something polite to say, but only managed a terse "Hey," before asking to hang his coat. 

Oddly, Doctor Lecter only wrapped his coat tighter around him, as if he were protecting something precious beneath its fabric. "Actually, I would like to keep it on for a while longer, if you don't mind, dear Will. I'm afraid I need a while longer to adjust to the heat," he explained.  

"That's fine with me. Uh, I'll kick the heater up. You can leave your stuff anywhere," Will replied. He locked the door firmly before moving to the thermostat and notching it up several degrees. 

"Thank you. Where are your dogs?"

"Locked 'em upstairs so they wouldn't berate you with their barking. Can I get you something to drink? Tea, coffee?"

"Tea would be fine, thank you."

Will nodded and moved to the kitchen. As he waited for the kettle boil, he felt his ears begin to burn as Doctor Lecter watched him from the living room, posture relaxed and unworried. It made the knot lessen in Will's chest a little, knowing Hannibal was taking a liking so far to his hospitality.

_Hospitality_. The thought made Will pause as he had begun to dig for mugs in the upper cabinets, his cheeks turning pink. Will was being  _hospitable_ , as if they were long-time friends and Doctor Lecter just happened to be visiting in the area. The very notion was absurd. Will had worked hard throughout his life to keep people at a distance and he'd like to keep it that way for as long as possible. The moment he started letting people in, he could get hurt.

The kettle began to hiss. Will snapped to attention, belatedly realizing he had been staring into the cabinet for minutes. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw that Doctor Lecter had sat himself on the easy chair and was reading some sort of novel. He had taken off his coat too.

Will sighed in relief. He finished brewing their tea, then brought it to the living room. There wasn't a second chair for Will to sit on, so he pulled out the stool at his fishing lure table, plopping onto it.

"Thank you very much, Will," Hannibal said, closing his book. "And thank you for allowing me to stay here for the night. I know it was very last minute."

"Yeah, it's no problem. Sorry for the mess, though. Haven't had any time to clean lately."

"Nor have I. Jack's need for my presence at these cases has left my home in a very unfortunate state."

Will snorted incredulously over his mug and rolled his eyes. "I find that hard to believe."

Hannibal turned a fond smile in his direction. "And why is that?"

"Because I find that extremely difficult to imagine. You're not the unstable one, remember?"

Hannibal chuckled and raised the mug to his lips. Will did the same, smiling. "And how have you been, Will?"

And suddenly, the lighthearted moment dissipated in the air. Will averted his eyes, voice turning steely. "What do you mean?"

Hannibal- when had begun to call him that?- shifted, turning to look more fully at Will. Their knees brushed lightly. "Have your nightmares lessened any since the last case ended?"

Will closed his eyes, shaking his head. No, they hadn't. He shuddered, blood and screams and terror flooding his senses. But he didn't want to lose himself in memories. He inhaled, breathing in the sweet smell of the tea, and exhaled to release the tension from his bones. When he opened his eyes, Doctor Lecter was staring at him with a worried expression.

"I'm fine," Will groaned, leaning back in his chair. 

"Do you believe that the more you tell yourself that, the sooner it'll come true?"

Will's nose crinkled as he sneered. " _Don't_. Don't psychoanalyze me."

To his surprise, Hannibal only sighed, nodding. "I apologize, Will. I must admit, the cold does make me rather...rude sometimes."

"It's okay," Will said with shockingly quick forgiveness. He tried to tell himself that it just mean that he was used to Hannibal's- Doctor Lecter's- behavior by now, but a large part of him argued something else.

Hannibal checked his watch. "Ten forty-nine," he said under his breath.

"'M ready to hit the sack if you are," Will replied. He suddenly felt drained of energy and emotion, as if Doctor Lecter's words had nicked a cut and they had slowly begun to trickle out. 

"May I use your restroom?" Doctor Lecter asked. 

Will nodded. "Yeah, I'll put the dishes away, get some extra blankets and pillows."

Hannibal turned his head in the direction of the bed, as if suddenly noticing it was there. Then, he turned back to face Will. "Will we be sharing a bed?"

"Yeah." Will felt his ears burn with embarrassment. "Uh, that is if you don't mind!" he added hastily.

A peculiar expression swept over Hannibal's face for a moment, before it was gone again. "No, that is quite fine." He bent down to grab a toothbrush and pajamas from his suitcase. "I shall be back in a moment." 

As Will did the dishes, he hoped that he made the right decision in inviting Hannibal to stay the night. There was nothing more that he loved more than his space, but with Hannibal that felt...wrong, like it was an unnecessary defense mechanism that didn't need to be there. 

Shaking his head, Will continued his tasks. Eventually, he found two spare blankets in a storage cabinet in the hallway, but no pillows. They'd have to share one each, then.

Hannibal emerged from the bathroom freshly pampered. He was dressed in a red v-neck sweater and black pajama pants. His hair hung over his eyes in an oddly charming way. Will straightened, wringing his hands together. "B-bed's ready," he stuttered.

"Excellent."

"Uh, you can get in now, I just have to burhs my teeth and check on the dogs real quick."

"Hurry back," Hannibal teased, and Will hated how domestic it sounded.

He brushed his teeth first before checking on his dogs (who were fine, and all huddled up in the upstairs bedroom around the space heaters). By the time he finished, his heart was pounding out of his chest and his body had begun to shake again. Nevertheless, he slipped under the covers with Doctor Lecter after turning off the lights. It was silent, but for the wind howling outside. 

"Will, I can hear your thoughts racing," Hannibal said in the darkness.

"Sorry. I'll try to relax." So Will squeezed his eyes shut and slowed his breathing. It didn't seem to help him fall asleep, though, every little noise around him startling him back into alertness. He wondered what Hannibal was thinking, if he found this just as awkward as he did. Will didn't think Doctor Lecter had sleepovers with his patients very often.

Then why was he the exception?

"Is there any way I can help soothe your anxiety, Will?" Hannibal asked quietly.

Will froze. "Sorry, I don't mean to keep you up, I'm just a little restless."

"What is on your mind?"

He felt Hannibal turn over, and those eyes staring at him in the darkness. When Will turned over too, he felt Hannibal's warmth radiating from his body. He closed his eyes, sighing. "I guess...I guess I'm just not sure how to make sense of all this. You're my doctor and I'm your patient and yet- I mean you couldn't found a fancy hotel to stay in but you decided to come here of all places. Why did you do that?"

"Because I'd rather be in the company of friends than none at all, Will."

"But we're not- we're not  _friends_ ," Will said through his teeth, feeling irritation bubble up in his chest. "We can't be, or it'd get too messy."

"And inviting me into your home? Allowing me to share your bed with you? Putting your dogs away so they would not make me uncomfortable? Are those not things a friend would do?"

"That was just me being a host. You can't attribute being polite to being your friend."

"Is that what others have told you in the past?"

"I told you,  _don't_ psychoanalyze-"

"And I told you the cold makes me terribly rude. What's to be done about that?"

There was silence for a few long moments. Will felt like he could kiss Hannibal and slap him at the same time. He breathed out a long-suffering sigh. And though maybe, for just a moment, he could pretend. Pretend that they really were friends. Pretend that there was something that seemed to pull them closer together. Pretended that he was wanted and cherished by another. He tried finding Hannibal's eyes in the darkness before saying, "And what if we were friends? What then?"

"I assume we would continue to take our time getting to know each other, taking down each other's defenses one by one."

"What defenses do you have, Doctor Lecter."

"Please call me Hannibal, Will," he said, before lowering his voice to a whisper. "I find myself quite attracted to you, to be honest."

Will flinched. " _What_?"

"Is it really quite that hard to believe?" When Will didn't answer, he scooted closer, until Will could feel his breath ghosting his cheek. "I've became quite fascinated with you, Will, to the point where it feels shameful. I want to know you, yes. Do you think that wrong of me?"

As Will thought, and a myriad of emotions fought each other in his heart, he already knew the answer before his mind did. Slowly, he shook his head, gulping. "No. No, I don't think it's wrong."

"Then how shall we proceed? As friends or acquaintances?" 

"Friends," Will decided, and it felt strangely empowering. It was  like a weight was lifted off his chest in that moment, and he was suddenly free.


	5. Wingfic

"Will. Will, please allow me-"

"I said I got it! Just let me-" Will clutched his left wing with a hiss, dropping his glass in the process. A loud crash pierced their ears as it impacted the floor, and hundreds of crystalline shards scattered throughout the kitchen. Will winced at the mess. "Sorry." 

"I will accept your apology, but only if you go and lie down in the bed."

Will opened his mouth to protest, but shut it again with a click once he saw that Hannibal was entirely serious. He sighed as he carefully tiptoed around the glass, not wanting to crush any of the shards with his boots- the last thing he wanted to do was make an even bigger mess than he already had.

Will made it to the bed with fairly little energy to spare, and plopped down with a tired groan. He didn't want to admit it, but he  _ liked _ depending on Hannibal, despite his words to the contrary. Maybe it was because Hannibal was the only person to attempt barging into Will's life with any measure of success, or maybe it was simply because Hannibal saw all the parts of Will that others didn't see. Whatever it was, he never wanted it to go away.

Will closed his eyes and listened to the sound of glass being swept away. He really didn't mean to drift off, but found that he must have as he soon woke to the feeling of a hand on his forehead and a voice calling his name. 

"Will," Hannibal said gently. "You have to take your medicine, or the infection will spread."

Will hummed and nodded, sitting up. He'd forgotten about that damned infection for a second- taken off guard as he was by the sudden display of affection on Hannibal’s end. He placed a gentle hand on his wing and nodded. Pain was radiating all the way through his bones, tendons, muscles,  _ everywhere _ , and he cursed himself for being so foolish that day. If he'd just been more careful, he wouldn't be in such pain now.

"Will, stay here with me," Hannibal pleaded. Will opened his eyes to look at him- to the blue and purple bruises beneath his eye, to his split lip and bandaged temple. The sight made him feel guilty all over again, and he lowered his gaze in shame. "Will," Hannibal repeated firmly. "What Tobias did to me was not your fault. The sooner you accept that, the better." Hannibal wrapped a hand around the back of Will's neck and smiled. "Don't you trust me?"

"I do," Will mumbled quietly. When Hannibal pressed his lips to Will's, he melted into the kiss, feeling his barriers slowly fall away. They pulled apart slowly, not saying a word. "Thank you," Will said under his breath.

Hannibal smiled and nodded. "Anything for you, dear Will."

  
  


 

 


	6. Touch-Starved

Fingers sink into golden sand, skin warmed by the sun. Waves rushing to consume him, fast approaching.

Inevitable.

Deeper, deeper, the fingers anchor, and the body steels itself. Handfuls of sand weighed down like a rock.

And the ocean exhales, collapsing.

Darkness and lungs pleading for air. Yet, absolute tranquility.

This mantra, a simultaneous vow: Wake, my beloved, to the moon in the sky. Breathe, my beloved, the air between our lips. Feel, my beloved, the thrill of being alive.

~*~

Sticky, red fingers raise to cup a pale cheek. The cerulean-turned-ink flutter close in gratitude and the air is crisp and new to the suffocated lungs.

A beautiful full moon and they are  _ alive _ .

~*~

Daydreaming eyes open to the disappointing reality of the now. White, speckled tiles beneath cool palms, a steaming mug laying patiently. Now-cold flesh curls around the ceramic, soaking in the warmth, and the heart settles from its upset.

_ Touch _ . Sensation, beginning in the cupped palms, radiating through numbed fingertips.

_ Heat _ . The scalding imprint of a hand that had awakened a desire. A desire to be loved.

Others’ love meant cutting masks of plastic, irritating fibers of clothing, claustrophobic embraces of belts and hoops. Love meant sacrifice and vulnerability: to the unknown, to new things. But with  _ him _ , love meant…distance. And freedom. And change, a stunning metamorphosis.

Love meant distance.

~*~

Black and white keys bobbed and a melancholy noise in the air. No motion or fluidity in the straight back. A bleak sky, some monochrome music sheets, a greying field of flowers swaying in the white sun, and the music was so, so melancholy.

Until he sat. Concerned blue eyes track the dancing hands, reading their language like literature. And a warmth rises: the press of his bottom on the hard, black bench; their shoulders brushing,  _ touching _ .

Love.

Black and white keys bobbed and a relieved song in the air. Motion and fluidity in the relaxed spine. A powdery blue sky, some curvy music sheets. Reds, blues, and oranges in the field of flowers swaying in the yellow sun, and the music was so, so relieved.

**Author's Note:**

> [Find me on tumblr!](my-soul-and-perfume.tumblr.com)


End file.
